


Infected

by Amberdiamondswords



Category: Ratchet & Clank
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-23
Updated: 2018-02-25
Packaged: 2019-03-22 22:07:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 17,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13773555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amberdiamondswords/pseuds/Amberdiamondswords
Summary: After an unfortunate accident in a Terrachnoid research lab, Ratchet contracts a deadly disease that has no known cure. To prevent him from spreading the disease to others, he and Clank are forced onto a quarantined planet with other holders of the disease. With resources limited and new allies to be made, the duo must find a way to cure the virus before time runs out for everyone.





	1. Chapter 1

"Now approaching Planet Terachnos," Aphelion chimed as she detected the intended destination.

Ratchet slumped in his seat and let out the biggest sigh of relief after he heard the words that he had wanted to hear for the entirety of the trip. Eleven hours of lower back pain and a cramped space with next to nothing on the radio. He really hoped that the job needed to be done on Terachnos was going to be worth such a long trip across galaxies.

The call for help came early in the morning while Ratchet and Clank were spending time on Planet Veldin in the Solana Galaxy. Ratchet hadn't even gotten his first cup of coffee when the distress signal came to the communicator. It was Clank who had to check the message because Ratchet could barely find his way to the couch when it came. After taking a few minutes to wake up, Ratchet had Clank play the message for him, as it came with a holo-message instead of text. Upon playing the message, a nervous Terachnoid burst from blue light of the hologram, his clothes were a mess and he looked like he needed a shower from the dirtiness of his clothes.

The Terachnoid, introducing himself as Dexter, brought news of one of the many research facilities on his home planet. Apparently, a Leviathan, a species that Ratchet and Clank collected many souls from, was being kept at one of the facilities, and it had recently given birth to a youngling. However, with two unhappy Leviathans not appreciating being held in captivity, the containment area's strength has been wearing thin with the two Leviathans constantly trying to bust their way out. Dexter reported that he would like the help of Ratchet and Clank with their mechanic skills and knowledge for building a better containment area. He would also like the two heroes around in case one of the Leviathans break through the walls and potentially injure the people within the facility, as he knew that the duo had dealt with creatures like Leviathans before.

Ratchet and Clank were a bit reluctant at first to answer the call for help because it was such short notice and the fact that the Polaris Galaxy was an entire trip unto itself. The two had just settled back down on Veldin and were planning on taking the day off and sprucing up the garage for their mechanic business, but after having a talk about it and considering the urgency, they found themselves taking off in Aphelion for a long trip to Planet Terachnos. And even with plenty of snacks and board games packed, Ratchet still found himself despising the long trip and he needed to stretch his legs badly. Hearing Aphelion notify them that they were approaching the planet was music to his big ears.

Ratchet pushed down on his lower back, hearing it crack a bit before settling. He rubbed the side of his head tiredly and muttered, "I hope that those Terachnoids have an idea of how they want to renovate that containment area. I'm a bit too exhausted from the trip alone to really put in my own ideas."

Clank placed a book that he had been reading for a few hours down in his lap and looked at his whining friend, "Perhaps the containment area is stable enough for you to rest for a few hours. I cannot imagine that the situation has reached critical levels, or else Dexter would have contacted us."

"I hope so," Ratchet said, putting his arms behind his head and leaning back in his seat. "I can't remember if they have Galaxy Burger on Terachnos."

"I believe that the only food available on Terachnos is brain food."

"Oh...wait," the Lombax turned to Clank and gave him a look. "Was that a joke?"

"I was waiting for you to catch on. Hehehehe!" The robot said, amused by his own joke.

"Alright, funny guy, settle that sense of humor. We're entering the planet's atmosphere. Let's hurry and find a landing space, I need to unbend my spine."

Ratchet pushed forward on Aphelion's controls and rocketed through Terachnos's atmosphere until the shining blue lights of the cities were visual below. The entire planet of Terachnos seemed to have a more sapphire color to it and it contrasted well with the pink colored citizens. Aphelion sailed over the blue landscape as Ratchet followed the coordinates that Clank has downloaded from the message that Dexter had sent. As they closed in on their destination, Ratchet spotted a landing pad over by the what he believed to be the research building. It was a large facility, which was appropriate if it was housing creatures such as Leviathans.

After expertly landing Aphelion as he always did, Ratchet opened up the cockpit and took in a large breath of fresh air that he desperately needed. He hopped down onto the ground and raised his arms for a satisfying stretch. He cracked a smile as he felt the discomfort leave his body, already feeling refreshed. Clank then hopped out of the ship and landed on the ground next to him, storing his book in his chest compartment for safekeeping. He scanned the area around them and turned to the large building behind them, pointing at it.

"That is the research facility that Dexter told us about. To think that they would manage to get a Leviathan in there."

"Yeah, these Terachnoids are passionate about their science, I'll have them that," Ratchet said, adjusting his gloves. He motioned Clank to follow him as he walked towards the building. "Come on, let's go in and take a look at the containment area. I wanna know what kind of damage we're dealing with here."

Clank nodded and trotted up next to Ratchet. The duo casually walked up to the entrance of the facility, opening the glass door entrance and entering. The white exterior with tiled floors and overall shininess really gave off the laboratory feel. Bright light fixtures hung from the ceiling illuminated the already bright white room, making everything a little  _too_  bright for someone without sunglasses. Portraits of famous Terachnoid scientists hung on the wall, each made famous for their investment in the scientific field, each one more wacky looking than the last. Well, science didn't judge looks, after all.

After taking in the looks of the lobby, Ratchet and Clank took notice of the desk near the middle of the room, which they presumed to be the generic front desk in every large building such as this one. They walked up to it and looked at the desk, noticing that no one was behind it.

Clank tilted his head and hummed curiously. "Hmm. Perhaps they are on a lunch break?"

"Well, we have to inform someone that we're here," Ratchet said placing a hand on his waist. He looked around for something that would help fulfill that need as he knew they couldn't go wandering aimlessly around a research lab. And the glimmer of a tabletop bell seemed to be his answer. He pressed down on the bell multiple times, letting it ring over and over. The sound echoed through the lobby along with his own voice as he called out, "Hello? It's Ratchet and Clank! Dexter called us here to talk about some Leviathans and the containment area! Anyone?"

Ratchet's voice and the constant 'dings' echoed once again through the room. The duo waited in a bit of an awkward silence, expecting someone to come and greet them after hearing who they were. However, no one like that came. No one came at all. Ratchet and Clank looked at each other with almost worried expressions, wondering what exactly the deal was. Ratchet looked back at the bell and put his hand back on it, giving it a few more rings just in case no one heard him the first time. He called out in a louder voice while spamming the bell.

"Hello? Is anyone-oof!"

Ratchet was startled by something grabbing him and yanking him away from the bell. He grabbed Clank by the arm as he was shoved behind the desk they were waiting at. A bit disoriented from the sudden movement, Ratchet shook his head and looked up, noticing that it was a Terachnoid scientist that had shoved him away. Clank landed on his rear next to Ratchet and noticed the scientist as well. They both looked like they were about to ask questions before they were silenced by the scientist.

"Shhh! Don't talk so loud! Are you trying to get eaten?!" The Terachnoid said in a panicked voice.

"Eaten?" Ratchet asked with a confused look. "Eaten by what?"

"By the Leviathan, of course! You're lucky that it didn't swoop through and eat the tail off of you!"

"The Leviathan? The one you are trying to keep contained here?" Clank said.

The Terachnoid nodded, "Yes, the same one that I told you about in my message. I'm Dr. Dexter, and it was so good of you two to come here on such short notice."

"What's going on here?" Ratchet asked, having a feeling that bad news was about to be delivered.

Dr. Dexter tapped his hands together, sweat running down the side of his head as he looked around outside of the desk. He pushed Ratchet and Clank closer to the ground with him and spoke in a quiet voice, a hint of panic laying dormant in his tone. "As you know, I contacted you two about the stability of our Leviathan containment center. For the past few days, we've been worried that the Leviathans were going to break down the walls and escape."

"Yes, we remember you telling us that, but what-" Clank started to ask, but Dr. Dexter quickly cut him off to finish explaining.

"It turns out the containment area was weaker than expected. Two hours ago, the baby Leviathan broke through the defenses and squeezed out of the containment. We tried to restrain it, but when you're having sharp teeth and a thirst for blood threatening you, you tend to panic and just run away," he said, looking a bit embarrassed at his cowardice. Ratchet and Clank looked at each other with grim faces after hearing this horrifying twist of events. Dr. Dexter looked around outside the desk once more, growing more paranoid by the minute. "We put the building on lockdown and the staff has been hiding in a safe room. I rushed out when I heard you two making noise. We would have sent you a message once the whole situation started, but someone, definitely not me, dropped the communicator in the panicked frenzy."

"What should we do?" Ratchet asked, trying to figure a solution to this problem. "We could go after it, but do you want us to kill it?"

"Oh heavens, no!" Dr. Dexter said out loud, quickly covering his mouth as he realized how loud he was being. He brought his voice down and shook his head, "No, you cannot kill the baby Leviathan. Its mother is already upset because she no longer has her child with her. If you're up for it, all you have to do is find it and subdue it. My colleagues are currently working repairments for the containment area as we speak. If you can take care of the baby Leviathan in a timely manner, we should have what we need by the time you deal with it."

Ratchet and Clank glanced at each other again with concerned expressions. They certainly didn't expect a dangerous situation like this when they first entered the building. This was already bigger and more extreme than the purpose of this trip. However, as dangerous as it was, they couldn't tell Dr. Dexter 'no' and just walk out of the facility. They knew better than that. Besides, it was just a baby Leviathan. How much trouble could it be?

Ratchet tapped Clank on the shoulder, "Clank, what weapons do we have with us?"

Clank sat himself up and opened his chest compartment, digging around to find any weapons that he was carrying within him. After a few moments, he pulled out two items and observed them, "It appears that we only have your Omniwrench and a Plasma Whip with us."

"Oh hey, I've been wondering where that went," Ratchet said, taking the Plasma Whip into his hand. "Looks like it's fully charged. I think this'll be enough if it's just a baby Leviathan. If we were dealing with the mother, then I would be worried. But we should be fine with this."

"Oh thank goodness," Dr. Dexter said with a slight sigh of relief. "I thank you two for doing this. Even though we have impeccable smarts, us Terachnoids are not the kind of species that are good at dealing with confrontations. If you two weren't here, I do not know what we would do."

"We are happy to be of assistance, doctor," Clank said with a nod. Though there was something that they needed to know. "Do you know what part of the facility the Leviathan child is currently at?"

Dr. Dexter frowned and shook his head, "I'm afraid that I don't. The last place it was seen was in the containment area after it broke out. I don't know if it's still around there or if it's roaming around the rest of the facility."

"We'll have to search the building for it, then," Ratchet said, taking his Omniwrench from Clank. "You go and take cover in the safe room. Clank and I will come and get you after the job is done. Tell everyone in there that everything is going to be fine."

"I'll do that. I apologize that I won't be able to keep in contact with you during this. Just be careful around any dangerous looking equipment and please try not to break anything. We already have enough damage to repair with this child running amok."

Ratchet grabbed Clank's hand and swung him onto his back before giving a thumbs up. "You can count on us. We'll be back soon. You all stay safe."

"You're the ones who should be staying safe."

After thoroughly checking to see if the coast was clear, Dr. Dexter scuttled away back down the way he came, making a beeline for the safe room. Ratchet and Clank watched him to make sure that he made it to the room without attracting the Leviathan. After hearing the sound of a door close and lock, the duo turned around and went down the opposite hallway, which was eerily quiet. Ratchet's ears were standing up, prepared to catch even the slightest of sound. Clank kept his eyes peeled and checked every corner of every area that they went through. They couldn't afford to not be alert during this. Even though it wasn't a fully grown one, Leviathans were dangerous creatures that could shred up its prey with just a few swipes of its sharp teeth. After collecting souls from so many of them, Ratchet and Clank were well aware of these capabilities, and it was this knowledge that kept up their highest guard.

After taking a peek around the corner, Ratchet turned down another hallway that had a variety of doors on each side. There were many experiments being held at this research facility, such as energy dividing, mind manipulation, and even organ-growing. Ratchet had to give the Terachnoids credit, they really were into their sciences. If they were to reach a breakthrough in any of these fields, it could give help to a lot of people across the universe. At least...he hoped that it would. The mind manipulation sounded a bit iffy to him, but he was sure that there was a perfectly good reason for researching something like that.

Clank scanned the area around him and checked the incoming results. There were no irregularities in the area, so it was highly unlikely that the Leviathan was around where they were. He looked over his shoulder and reported this to Ratchet. "The Leviathan does not appear to be in this area of the facility. Perhaps we should try someplace else?"

Ratchet hummed in thought for a moment, "Yeah, we could do that...or maybe we could bring the Leviathan to us."

"Pardon?"

"It'll probably take a long time for us to sneak around this place and find the Leviathan. It could be on the move whenever we're on the move. It would be faster if we lured it out somehow."

Clank pondered this for a moment, "I suppose that it is an easier strategy for finding it. But how will we lure it out?"

"I uh...I have a good idea how."

Ratchet walked over to the wall and reached out his hand to feel it. Even with his gloves on, he could tell that this portion of the wall was made of a metal alloy. The walls in this area were particularly strong for the possibly explosive experiments being held inside the rooms. Ratchet looked down at his Omniwrench and almost cracked a smile. It was time to make a little noise.

Swinging his arm back, Ratchet prepped his Omniwrench and swung it forward, hitting the metal wall with it. The resulting collision made a large 'dong' noise that traveled down the entire hallway. Clank was about to ask what in the name of his father he thought he was doing, but the robot quickly realized that this was what Ratchet meant by luring out the Leviathan. Dr. Dexter had scolded the two for making so much noise back in the lobby because it could attract the creature. With no one to stop them this time, they could make all the noise they wanted. If the Leviathan could hear them, it would definitely be drawn to all the noise.

Ratchet hit the wall over and over again, making as much noise as he could with it. His ears were flattened again the sides of his head as they didn't appreciate the volume of the noise he was making. His arms were starting to feel funny from the vibration caused by the two metals colliding with one another. It was so intense that even Clank could feel it a slight bit. He gave it a few more swings before landing a particularly hard one that jittered his entire body. Ratchet lowered the Omniwrench to take a breather and for his body to settle back down.

"You think that did it?" Ratchet asked looking at Clank.

The two sat in silence for a few moments to see the results of the noisy diversion. Ratchet's ears stood up once more and Clank's audio sensors listened carefully. The silence that had haunted them before still remained and nothing had changed. They were apparently still alone as the Leviathan was not making itself known. Ratchet swung his wrench over his shoulder and traveled away from the wall and back down the original path they were taking.

"Looks like we'll have to try this somewhere else."

"It seems that way. Hopefully the Leviathan heard a decent bit of the noise and it in an area closer to us," Clank said, still keeping his guard up.

"I hope so. This whole Leviathan hunting thing is kinda creeping me out. Reminds me of a holo game I played once. You were stuck on a ship with this creature roaming around, and out of nowhere, it would drop down and eat your-GAHH!"

Ratchet yelled in surprise as a vent covering suddenly dropped down in front of him, crashing into the floor with a loud noise. The two quickly looked up as they had a feeling about what caused the cover to fall. For a more cowardly person, the sight above would have made them drop the the floor unconscious. Ratchet and Clank's eyes went wide as they saw bright yellow eyes staring down at them from the vent above. A hissing around came form it as parts of its glowing blue body were revealed. It slinked down towards Ratchet, hovering around him like a shark circling its prey. Ratchet raised his Omniwrench in defense and prepared his Plasma Whip. This baby Leviathan was only a bit bigger than him, but it was much more dangerous. Clank could feel Ratchet's muscles tensing up as he prepared his first attack.

However, the baby Leviathan was one step ahead of him. He let out a horrible screech as it snapped at him, launching itself forward and trying to take a bite out of the duo with its intimidatingly sharp teeth. After managing to dodge the attack, Ratchet took the opportunity to smack the Leviathan with his Omniwrench, sending it flying back. The Leviathan squirmed in a disoriented state. Ratchet took advantage of the few precious moments and activated his Plasma Whip. An electric blue whip extended out of the handle, crackling with electricity. Clank piped up as Ratchet carefully made his way over to the Leviathan.

"Remember, Dr. Dexter does not want us to end the creature's life."

"I know that. Where should I hit it to avoid injuries that would kill it?" Ratchet asked.

"Aim for the back and sides of the body. The damage done there should not be fatal or permanently damaging."

"Back and sides, got it. Thanks, pal." Ratchet raised the Plasma Whip and prepared to strike the creature's back. "Sorry about this, little guy."

Before Ratchet could attack it, the Leviathan suddenly turned its head towards him and let out another loud screech. It swung its tail around and knocked Ratchet off of his feet. The Lombax landed on his side so he would not harm Clank in any way. The Leviathan saw its downed opponent and snapped its jaws at him, ready to taste its dinner. Ratchet quickly raised his Plasma Whip and flung it, striking the side of the Leviathan before it could get too close. The creature let out a pained screech and a small whimper afterward as painful electricity danced around on the whip mark.

Now frightened by the injuries, the creature let out an intimidating screech before retreating back into the vent above, the blue glow that it created fading as it escaped. Ratchet watched it escape as he scrambled back up onto his feet. He placed his hands on his waist and let out a small breath.

"Looks like it's not a fan of taking any hits," Ratchet said, rubbing the arm he had landed on. He looked over his shoulder, "You alright back there?"

"I am fine. Thank you for not landing on me," Clank said with a nod. He looked up at the vent and blinked, "You are correct about the Leviathan. It sought out an escape the moment you struck it. But I do not know if that will frighten it enough to keep it from attacking us."

"Well, now that we know what this thing is capable of, we should have the upper hand next time. Though we do have to find it again."

"That is true. With luck, it shall stay in this area and attempt to surprise us again. I hope that you will be prepared this time. You were quite scared when the vent cover fell."

"Okay, I was not  _scared_ , I was  _startled_. There's a very big difference. And trust me, I'm ready for all of this little guy's tricks. Now then, let's follow the noises of a distressed Leviathan."

Ratchet brushed himself off and adjusted his gloves before picking up the pace and traveling down the hallway once more. He looked up at the ceiling. The Leviathan was currently hurt and possibly disoriented, so it was surely going to create some noise if accidentally hits the sides of the vent in its injured state. Ratchet and Clank listened carefully once more and waited for any indication of where the creature was at. It couldn't hide from them forever. Either they were going to find it or it was going to find them. And if they wanted the advantage, they would need to find it first.

'Bang!'

Ratchet's wars twitched and Clank looked up as they heard a distinct noise above. That was definitely a bang caused by a Leviathan in the vents. And by the sound of it, it came from the left, down yet another corridor (it was a rather large facility). He prepared his Omniwrench and Plasma Whip in case he was going to be the victim of another surprise attack. He snuck down the hallway keeping on guard with Clank constantly watching his back. Ratchet raised his ears and prepared to listen again. If he could close in on it he could scare it out of the vents himself and take it down as it recovered from its confused state. But it all depended on whether or not he could get the jump on it.

'Bang!'

Ratchet and Clank looked to the left as they heard a much more close banging noise. It sounded like the Leviathan was in the vents above the room to their left. It looked like that they had closed in on it.

Carefully and quietly, Ratchet walked over and opened the door to a room read 'Danger! Chemical and Medical Research Lab'. It seemed like he would have to be extra careful not to break things in the room. He slid the door open and stepped inside. It was rather dark in the front part of the room. The only light being provided were a variety of glows being given off in the sealed half of the room. An electronic door closed off a room full of various chemicals and other strange liquids. And according to the hazmat suits that were lined up outside of the door, it was a very dangerous room to be in. The amount of carefulness that was required for this was making Ratchet a bit nervous.

"Alright...where are you…?" Ratchet muttered, looking up at the ceiling. Ratchet muttered, looking up at the ceiling. It had to be up in there somewhere, he just had to find the opening to the vent so he could prepare an attack. However, after thoroughly checking the ceiling, there were no vent covers. The only thing that could be seen was a very suspicious looking hole that seemed to have been broken from the ceiling. Ratchet's ears lowered and his eyes went wide as he realized how big the hole was. About the size of a baby Leviathan. "Oh no. That's not good...where is-"

"Ratchet! Behind you!"

At the sound ot Clank's warning, Ratchet whipped around and saw some familiar yellow eyes staring at him from behind a cabinet. His ears lowered again and he gulped. They didn't close in on the Leviathan, the Leviathan closed in on them. And it was ready to try and rip them apart again.

Ratchet went for his Plasma Whip, but like before, the Leviathan was one step ahead of him and was already charging an attack. It opened its glowing blue mouth wide and let out a cloudy white mist that quickly surrounded the duo. Ratchet coughed as he accidentally inhaled some of it. This creature was much smarter than it looked. It set up a smokescreen so they couldn't see where it was! Ratchet raised his ears and prepared to listen to where the Leviathan was coming from, but he was a moment too late, and the creature charged through the mist and smashed its head into him. The two went flying back with such force that they went straight through the glass of the concealed room.

In the process of landing roughly on the floor with bloody cuts on his arms, Ratchet lost control of his grip and his weapons went flying from his hands. He let out a loud groan of pain as he slid on the floor. Clank quickly detached himself from the hex mount and rushed to the front of Ratchet, checking his injuries.

"Ratchet? Are you alright?" Clank asked, even though he knew for a fact that his friend wasn't alright.

Ratchet opened his eyes and prepared to answer his concerned friend, but a horrifying roar from the Leviathan as it thrashed its way into the room stopped him. He sat up and looked frantically around for his weapons. He saw them on the floor across the room and quickly rushed towards him. His hand stretched out as it came closer to the handle of the Plasma Whip. However, his hands just barely grazed the surface of the weapon as the Leviathan intercepted him. And, what seemed like an act of revenge for the Plasma Whip strike it had received earlier, the creature spun around and struck Ratchet with its tail, sending the Lombax flying back once again. Ratchet's back hit one of the counters holding up vials of liquid. With the impact of Ratchet hitting it, a vile full of pink liquid fell out of its holder and down onto the Lombax's head. The glass containing it shattered and it leaked down onto him, getting into his eyes, mouth, and several of his cuts.

"GAH! Ah, what is this?!" Ratchet yelled out as he was blinded by getting the liquid in his eyes.

"Ratchet!" Clank called out for his friend, worried about Ratchet not being able to see, and by extent defend himself.

The Leviathan thrashed around some more as it turned itself around. The small space it was in was making it uncomfortable and made it hard to it to move around with precision. Clank knew that he was on his own now, so he had to think of something very quickly while the creature was throwing its tantrum. He looked around at the various chemicals and tried to calculate a mixture that would help him in this situation. A stroke of luck hit him as he found hydrogen peroxide and a sulfuric acid mixture. This would do nicely.

Carefully watching the Leviathan and Ratchet, Clank took the two chemicals and popped the lid off the hydrogen peroxide. He poured it into the sulfuric acid mixture and shook it up a bit. The resulting combination began to bubble very quickly, meaning that this would work if he could aim it correctly. Clank turned to the Leviathan and raised the chemical combination. He threw it as hard and precisely as he could. The glass of the container smashed on the Leviathan's face and an explosion followed quickly after. Clank had made sure that it was far enough away from Ratchet so he wouldn't be caught up in the explosion.

After the smoke cleared, the Leviathan let out one more painful screech before it fell to the floor, unconscious from the close ranged chemical explosion. Clank felt himself relax, thankful that his quick plan worked the way he had planned to. But he couldn't relax for long, as he quickly dropped to the floor and ran over to Ratchet, who was clearing the strange pink fluid from his eyes.

"Are you alright? That were quite some hits that you took." Clank said, clearly worried.

"Not exactly. That last hit really did a number on my back," Ratchet groaned. He then looked at the liquid that was running down his hands. "What is this stuff?"

"I do not know. Whatever it is, it might be harmful to you."

"Oh great. What should I do? I can't just be covered in some weird chemical."

Clank looked around the room and quickly located what he was looking for. "There is a chemical shower along with an eye cleaner over there. Rinse out the chemical in there."

"Alright. It's gonna sting with these cuts, though," Ratchet said, getting up and rubbing his injured back. "Ugh...I'm gonna need some nanotech after this…"

After Ratchet took a short shower (with his clothes on, as they were covered, too) in the cold chemical shower and reluctantly rinsed his eyes out in the eye cleaner, he stepped out feeling somewhat refreshed. His injuries were still hurting, though. And the cold water getting into his glass cuts didn't help the situation. Meanwhile, Clank was keeping watch of the baby Leviathan, who was still unconscious.

Ratchet saw how knocked out the creature was and patted Clank on the back, "Quick thinking with the chemical explosion, pal. If you hadn't thought of it, I probably would have ended up way worse."

"Thank you. I suppose that science is the deadliest weapon of them all," the robot said with a smile.

The Lombax smiled as well and shrugged, "I dunno. I think I prefer the RYNO over chemicals. Now come on, let's get this guy back to the containment area and tell the Terachnoids that everything had been dealt with."

"Agreed. Though the chemical you were covered in is not causing any discomfort in you, is it?"

Ratchet shook his head, "No, I think I got it all out. If it was dangerous then it probably would have burned my eyes or something horrible like that. I'm fine, trust me. Though I could still use some nanotech. These cuts really sting and I hate it."

Despite having a sore back, Ratchet managed to pick up the baby Leviathan with Clank holding up the tail for him. They slowly yet surely moved the Leviathan back the way they came and dropped it in the lobby of the building. After taking a moment to recover from the long carrying trip, the two went to the Terachnoid's safe room and told Dr. Dexter that the Leviathan was subdued and was ready to be put back in containment. Though the Terachnoids inside were still terrified about the situation, and a few even screamed and ran away as soon as they saw the baby Leviathan laying in the middle of the lobby floor, they were relieved that the lockdown was now over and there was nothing to fear anymore.

The baby Leviathan was taken back to the containment area where its mother waited, angry that her child was missing for so long. Ratchet laughed nervously when he saw the size of the mother Leviathan. If this creature had gotten out instead of the child, then he would have much more than cuts and a sore back right now. Clank agreed with him, all the chemical explosions in the universe would be able to faze the large creature. But the mother was happy when the child was put back in the containment area, though she was a bit displeased when she saw that her child was currently "sleeping". But before the mother could release her rage, with the help of Ratchet and Clank, the Terachnoids set up an electric grid they had prepared in the safe room. Adrenaline really did lead to productiveness.

"That should do it," Dr. Dexter said as Ratchet and Clank lowered down onto the floor with the Heli-Pack. The doctor frowned as the duo approached him, "I am terribly sorry that you had to deal with this. We couldn't be more grateful that you subdued the baby Leviathan for us."

"Ah, it was nothing. I sustained fewer injuries than I expected," Ratchet said rubbing his backside.

"Right, we'll have some nanotech brought to you as soon as we can. In the meantime, you are free to stay here as long as you wish. There are plenty of tours you can take of the facility."

As wonderful as that sounded to Clank, Ratchet shook his head and waved off the offer, "That sounds, uh...interesting, but I'd rather start the long journey home. We have a business to run on Veldin, after all."

Dr. Dexter nodded, though he looked disappointed in the lack of interest in the tour, "I understand, there is no place like home. But if there is anything you ever need, just contact me. We here are in your debt."

"Thank you, Dr. Dexter," Clank said from Ratchet's back. He had spoken up because he had a concern, "But before we go, I must inform you that Ratchet came into contact with a pink liquid in the chemical and medical research lab. He cleaned it out, but should we be concerned?"

"A pink liquid? It was probably my genetically altered pink lemonade!"

"Genetically altered...pink lemonade," Ratchet asked, raising an eyebrow.

Dr. Dexter smiled, "Yes, just a little side project of mine. I want to push pink lemonade flavor to its absolute limits! It's my favorite drink and I had nothing better to do at the time. But there's nothing to be worried about if you came into contact with it. If anything you'll smell like lemons for awhile. But other than that, it's a harmless substance."

"Thank goodness," Clank said happily. It was a relief that Ratchet was not in danger. Though getting pink lemonade in the eyes probably wasn't pleasant.

"Alright, we'll be headin' out now. See you later, Dr. Dexter," Ratchet said, turning around with a wave.

"Farewell, heroes. And thank you again!"

With the entire ordeal done, Ratchet and Clank walked out into the lobby of the facility one more time. There was another Terachnoid there waiting for them holding a crate full of nanotech. Ratchet eagerly opened it and let the nanobots patch up all of his injuries. The cuts on his arms closed and were fully healed and the wounds on his back healed as well, though it was still a bit sore. It was better than it was, though. After thanking the Terachnoid, the two headed out back towards Aphelion, feeling exhausted by their suddenly exciting adventure. They were happy to jump into the plush seats of the cockpit. And they were even more happy to take off into the cosmos and begin their long journey home.

Ratchet sighed to himself as he prepared for another eleven hours.

Meanwhile, inside the Terachnoid research facility, Dr. Dexter scuttled down the many corridors to the chemical and medical lab. He put on a hazmat suit as soon as he entered due to the sealed chemical room being shattered by the Leviathan attack.

The Terachnoid hummed to himself as he carefully stepped around the broken glass that laid on the floor. There certainly was a lot of damage. And it was just from a baby Leviathan attack. He hoped that Ratchet and Clank hadn't been too injured from the fight. The last thing they needed was a lawsuit. Though the duo didn't seem like the type of people to do such a thing.

Dr. Dexter stepped around more broken glass and the residue from a chemical explosion that was used to subdue the Leviathan. This was going to be one heck of a mess to clean up. Especially the small puddle of pink liquid on the ground. However, something didn't seem right. The vial that was shattered on the ground didn't look like the one that he kept the pink lemonade in. The pink color of the liquid didn't look quite right either. Curious about whether or not this was the pink lemonade or not. Dr. Dexter picked up the broken vial so he could read the label on his side. It was broken in half so it wasn't the full name. 

'Cor Vene-'

The Terachnoid could feel his heart almost stop as he recognized the name on the vial. He dropped the container and more of the glass shattered on the floor. He had wide eyes as he realized what Ratchet had come into contact with. This was bad. This was really bad.

Dr. Dexter quickly turned around and ran for the exit of the room. Eight hours. That was how long it was going to take to develop inside Ratchet. He had to get in touch with the Polaris Sanitation Force before Ratchet could get back home and come into contact with an organic person. If he did, then they would have to quarantine another planet.

* * *

**Sooo...new project!**

**I'm going to come out and say it right now, the plot of this fic is somewhat inspired by the plot of the game "Subnautica". It's a game where you crash land on a quarantined planet and you have to cure the disease in order to be able to leave. But I played with the plot a bit and made it into something that could be really interesting to work within the Ratchet and Clank universe. I made it a bit darker and more emotional so you guys can really get emersed and always be on the edge of your seats.**

**Also, this story is going to introduce a brand new OC I created. And I don't mean a one-off OC like Wyre, I mean an actual OC like Circuit and Azure. But Ratchet and Clank are going to remain in the spotlight, I promise. The new OC is a side character at best. The Lombax and Robot duo are the main stars, not the character I created.**

**So, as for this first chapter, it looks like the substance Ratchet came into contact with is more dangerous than pink lemonade. The main question is how will the substance start to effect Ratchet? I guess you'll have to stick around to find out.**

**Thanks for reading! Kudos and Comments are appreciated!**


	2. Chapter 2

Ratchet let out a small yawn. He placed his elbow on the window next to him and rested his head on his hand. His large eyes reflected the stars that they flew by. The Lombax let out a bored sigh that Clank didn't bother acknowledging, as his friend always got like this on long trips. They had spent the past two hours in a dead zone, so there was no reception for radio or even the communicator. And Ratchet wasn't taking too kindly to that.

Growing more bored by the minute, Ratchet pushed back his seat and reclined it, crossing his arms behind his head as he laid down. If he had nothing to do, then now would be a nice time to take a nap and pass the time quickly. The plush surface of the chair supported his sore back nicely, but it wasn't enough to make the pain go away. He didn't plan on feeling like this when he left the facility, but a lot of things he didn't expect happened when they were there.

Speaking of which, Ratchet remembered that pink lemonade experiment that Dr. Dexter had told them about. When the liquid had drenched in, a bit of it had gotten into his mouth, and it didn't taste anything like pink lemonade. Maybe Dr. Dexter would have to get that experiment back on track in order get it to taste like actual pink lemonade. The taste Ratchet was met with was a horribly bitter and disgusting taste, like he had taken a bite out of a bar of soap or something disgusting like that.

But there was something that Ratchet was a bit concerned about. There was something...off about him. He felt funny in a way that he couldn't describe properly. It was like he was dizzy, but he could see straight. It was like he was partially disconnected from reality. It may have just been from the lack of sleep (sleeping in a ship wasn't the best thing) or maybe he was just hungry, but something was bugging him in the back of his mind. Ratchet was well aware that Dr. Dexter told him that the liquid that had spilled on him was harmless, but if he was genetically altering lemonade, wouldn't it still be somewhat dangerous to get into his eyes and cuts? Maybe he was just overthinking it. He had half a mind to tell Clank about his concerns, but he didn't want to worry his friend more than he already had today. If things become worse, then he would tell Clank about it. But for now, it was something he was going to keep to himself and hopefully goes away on its own.

Ratchet had just gotten comfortable and Clank had barely turned the page of his book when Aphelion's communicator started going off. Ratchet sat up at the sound of the familiar rings and Aphelion's voice sounded out as she read the ID of the caller.

"Incoming call from: Schmidt, Dexter."

"Dr. Dexter?" Clank said quizzically, putting his book down. "Do you think that the Leviathan escaped again?"

"I hope not," Ratchet said with a bit of worry. He did not want to deal with all of that again. He reached forward and tapped the answer button on the ship's communicator and the familiar Terachnoid face showed up on the screen. "Hey, Doc. Did you forget something before we left?"

Dr. Dexter shook his head quickly. So quickly that Ratchet and Clank couldn't help but notice that he look panicky about something. Maybe another Leviathan did get out. But he started talking before they could ask any question, "No, this is something much more important. Ratchet, have you gotten out of the vehicle or come into contact with any other people since you left?"

"Uh...no. Why?"

"Alright, that's good, that's very good. I need you to stop your ship and tell me your current coordinates. I would have done this sooner, but you were most likely flying through a dead zone when I needed to reach you."

"What is going on, Dr. Dexter? Why do you require our current location?" Clank asked.

"I'll explain everything as soon as we arrive. The starship we're coming in has a warp drive, so we shouldn't take too long. Just please send your ships coordinates."

Ratchet and Clank looked at each other in surprise. They weren't sure what was going in, but the urgency in Dr. Dexter's voice told them that they should do what he said. Clank tapped several buttons on the communicator and sent Aphelion's current coordinates to Dr. Dexter's communicator. Once he received them, he nodded.

"Thank you. We'll be there as soon as we can. Dr. Dexter out."

The communicator screen went black as Dr. Dexter ended the call. Ratchet and Clank almost felt overwhelmed by the sudden urgent call. He said that this was very important. Maybe there was something at the facility that they forgot to do? Or there was something that Dr. Dexter wanted to give them. The possibilities intrigued the duo.

"So, he'll be coming to us," Ratchet said, placing a hand on his chin. "We didn't forget anything at the research lab, did we?"

"As I recall, the only items that we brought were your Omniwrench, Plasma Whip, and this book that I am holding. We did not leave anything back at the facility. Perhaps he is going to show us something?" Clank said, really having no clue what Dr. Dexter wanted with them.

"He's bringing a whole starship with him. Maybe they captured another Leviathan?" The thought of that made Ratchet feel a bit more excited.

"It is...plausible. But I do hope that it is not the reason for stopping us." Clank wasn't sharing the same enthusiasm about a possible new Leviathan as Ratchet was. He had enough Leviathans for one day.

Knowing that they had to wait around for the starship, Ratchet and Clank resumed the activities they were doing before they received the call from Dr. Dexter. Clank reopened his book and happily continued along, reading about quantum physics (it was one of his favorite scientific topics). Meanwhile, Ratchet laid back in his seat again and got comfortable. There was a perfect Lombax shaped groove in it that was left in it from the recent long trips. He closed his eyes and relaxed. Maybe he could get a few minutes of sleep in before the starship arrived. If he was lucky, it would shake off the funny feeling he was still experiencing.

Unfortunately, the moment Ratchet could feel himself beginning to drift off, Aphelion let out a warning of an approaching starship. He sat up in his seat and looked outside to take a look at this ship. Ratchet and Clank were forced to stare in awe, as the only thing they could see out the window was an enormous white starship. It almost looked like it was glowing with the intense white color. Ratchet shielded his eyes from it and whistled with an impressed tone.

"Whoa. I knew that the doc said he was bringing a starship, but that thing is huge!"

Clank nodded in both agreement and amazement, "It is even larger than the Starship Phoenix. What kind of purpose would a colossal starship like this one have?"

"I don't know, but after seeing the size of this big guy, I'm feeling pretty excited-AH!"

The white starship had stopped in front of them, and after a few moments, the entire Aphelion jerked, sending Ratchet and Clank back down into their seats. Clank rubbed his head and looked out the windshield. There was a blue beam being emitted from the starship and it was directed towards them. He recognized a mean like this. He turned to Ratchet as he realized what was happening.

"Ratchet, they have us in a tractor beam. They are going to pull us in."

"Ugh…" Ratchet groaned a bit, rubbing his shoulder. He scowled at the tractor beam. "We can fly by ourselves, they don't need to trap us in a tractor beam."

"I presume it is because they think that we might not know where to dock."

"I would have figured it out eventually…" The Lombax sighed and sat back in his seat. "Well, let's sit back and enjoy the ride, I guess."

Even though he knew that Ratchet wasn't happy with being forcibly pulled in, Clank decided to simply follow what he said and sit back in his seat. The tractor beam pulled them in closer and a docking bay opened up They were too far down on the ship to see the words on the side of the ship. The black coloring contrasted immensely with the white of the ship, reading:

'POLARIS SANITATION FORCE'

The duo waited patiently for Aphelion to be pulled into the docking bay of the starship. They were brought all the way to the landing pad before the shimmer blue tractor beam faded away and gave Aphelion her free will back. Ratchet finished landing the ship before opening the cockpit. The silver docking bay was very large, so large that they could fit at least fifty more Aphelions inside. However, the docking bay was completely empty and their ship was the only one to be seen.

Shrugging off the lonely docking bay, Ratchet and Clank hopped out of Aphelion and took a few steps away. It didn't seem like anyone was there to greet them. This was giving them flashbacks of extremely recent events. Maybe there was a Leviathan lose in this place, too. Though Ratchet wasn't exactly in the mood to be thrown around again. But the hissing of an opening door across the docking bay reassured the two that there was no creature lose on board. However, they were confused by the group of people coming towards them. Were they all dressed in...hazmat suits?

Ratchet and Clank glanced at each other as the group of hazmat dressed people surrounded them. Ratchet spoke up and gave a small wave, "Hey fellas. Nice, uh...nice of you to have us. You guys...having a costume party? Or are you blowing things up with chemicals like Clank did here a few hours ago?"

"I'm sorry about their unsettling appearances," said a familiar voice. The crowd of hazmat-suited people parted and Dr. Dexter, also wearing a suit, came through with a white box.

Ratchet looked around at the people before looking back at Dr. Dexter, "Doc, what did you need us for? And what's with all the hazmat suits?"

"Is there radioactive cargo on board?" Clank asked.

"Well, I can't quite answer this question yet. First I need something from you, Ratchet." Ratchet's ears twitched at this, wondering what exactly Dr. Dexter needed from him. The Terachnoid opened the white box he was carrying and fiddled with its contents. When he put together what he needed to be put together, he signaled some of the people in the suits. Three of them walked up to Ratchet and grabbed him, restraining him so he couldn't move much.

"Hey!" Ratchet cried out. "What are you doing? Get off of me!"

"Again, I'm really sorry," the Terachnoid said. He revealed the items that he had been fiddling with. A needle, a tube, and a vial. Ratchet's eyes went wide and he shook his head. Dr. Dexter sighed with a bit of sadness. "I don't want to do this, I really don't. But I need to take a blood sample from you, my friend."

"What? No! You can't have my blood!"

"I'm afraid you have no choice. If I don't get blood from you, then I won't know if you're in danger or not."

"Danger? What would he be in danger of, Doctor?" Clank asked, several people watching him, prepared to stop him if he tried to stop the blood draw.

"I'll explain everything once I get the results of the blood back. But I need to get it first," Dr. Dexter said.

Ratchet squirmed in the people's grip and he could feel his fur standing up on end at his arm was flipped over. He looked over at Clank who returned a look of sympathy. He knew that Dr. Dexter said that his blood needed to be drawn and checked for danger or something like that, but he was not one for getting his blood drawn. Ratchet wasn't a fan of needles, and having a needle in his arm taking his blood was not a pleasant thought. However, there was not much he could do. All he could think to do was look at Clank and focus on that sympathetic look. If this hold blood testing thing ended up being all for nothing, he was going to get out his Omniwrench out and give everyone a piece of his mind.

Dr. Dexter carefully put the needle in Ratchet's arm. The Lombax took a sharp breath through his teeth as he felt a harsh pinch. It only took a few moments for the doctor to get all of the blood he needed, but it felt like an eternity for Ratchet. He jumped as he suddenly felt the needle snap at him as it was carefully removed. Dr. Dexter wrapped the wound with a pad and gauze in case more blood was going to leak out.

The hazmat team released Ratchet and he gave his Terachnoid friend a harsh look. Dr. Dexter coward before the angry Lombax ang gave him a small wave, "Th-Thank you for letting me draw blood from you."

"I didn't exactly have a choice," Ratchet said bitterly, rubbing his arm. His ears lowered as he was tired of being left in the dark, "Now tell us what you're trying to do. Why did you need my blood? What kind of test are you going to run?"

"Like I told you, I will explain after I run the test," Dr. Dexter said. He was definitely hiding something from them, but it was something that the Terachnoid didn't want to talk about until he was definitive confirmation about it. He nervous motioned the duo towards the exit of the docking bay, "Look, the test won't take that long. If your blood contains what I think it contains, then we're going to have a serious problem."

"I feel like we should be informed about this 'serious problem'. You cannot hide it from us like this," Clank said, becoming impatient himself.

Dr. Dexter rubbed the back of his head. "Eh...let's just say that...the pink lemonade wasn't actually the pink lemonade experiment. I have to make sure that your blood isn't contaminated with the liquid that you were covered in. Just wait in the sanitation room until I'm done. I'll be right back with the results."

Despite Ratchet and Clank's protests and questions, the duo was forced out of the docking bay. The hazmat team guided them to the sanitation room that Dr. Dexter had mentioned. The inside was as white as the ship itself. It was a small room that simply contained a table and a chair. Ratchet was quick to lower his ears and slump down in the chair, grumpy from having his blood drawn and frustrated by the lack of information. Clank stood next to him and tried his best to offer support, but he honestly had no idea what to say. He was as clueless about his friend.

"I knew that the liquid wasn't lemonade," Ratchet said, finally speaking up. "It didn't taste like it at all. It kind of felt too thick."

"If it was not lemonade, then that means that it really was some sort of chemical. Did you wash it out in the chemical shower?" Clank asked.

"I'm pretty sure I did. I did the shower and the eyeball cleanser and everything. I even washed my mouth out. There can't be a trace of that stuff left in me."

"Well, it seems like Dr. Dexter wants to make sure. We cannot be risking your health, after all."

"He didn't seem worried about my health when he sent us to go fight the baby Leviathan." Ratchet planed his head on the table and lowered his ears. "He needs to hurry up and come get us. I just want to head home to my garage. Summer is almost here on our side of the planet, so people will be lining up for proton scrubs and air conditioner repairs."

"With the average temperature on Veldin, every day is practically a summer day, so I do not think that the time of year matters."

"Fair point-!"

The two looked at the entrance of the room as the doorknob turned. As expected, Dr. Dexter walked in, still wearing the hazmat suit. He was carrying a piece of paper in his hands but the vial of Ratchet's blood was nowhere to be seen. Clank tilted his head and tried to take a peek at the paper the doctor was holding, but he couldn't see what was written on it. But the distraught expression on Dr. Dexter's face greatly unsettled them. There was about to be some bad news.

Dr. Dexter tried to start off with a calm and friendly greeting, "Erm...hello, friends. I am sorry about the wait. How are you doing?"

"I feel like I just got a needle to the arm," Ratchet said with his ears lowered. He didn't have the patience to go through greetings, he wanted to know what was going on. The Lombax stood up and crossed his arms. "What's the deal, doc? What's all this about a chemical being in my blood? What did you find in there?"

They waited for an answer, both Ratchet and Clank staring at Dr. Dexter with harsh glares. The doctor looked like he was sweating in the hazmat suit. He looked extremely nervous about something. He kept opening his mouth to speak but no words would come out. After a few attempts of trying to explain the results of the blood test, he let out a disappointed sigh. He couldn't do it. He couldn't tell them with his own words. Dr. Dexter looked down at the paper in his hands, they shook slightly as he decided to raise them. The paper was held up and Ratchet quickly took it, wanting to know what the problem was. The Lombax got down on one knee so Clank could read the results as well.

This was the first time they saw the results of the blood test. But, according to the key generously put at the side of the paper, everything seemed pretty normal. However, Clank noticed something near the bottom of the paper. A section labeled "tested illnesses", and they expected it to be blank, as Ratchet had to illnesses he was aware. But one name sat in the box. Even with the amount of text on the page, the illness name stood out. Ratchet muttered as he read the name of the illness out loud and tried to pronounce it properly.

"Cor...Venenati…" Ratchet raised his head from the paper and looked at Dr. Dexter. "What's Cor Venenati?"

Dr. Dexter tapped his hands together and he became even more nervous. He had a strained voice as if he was truly forcing himself to speak. "Cor Venenati is a virus. A deadly virus that leads to the disease of the same name. This is what I wanted to test your blood for. Ratchet, my friend, you have been infected with the Cor Venenati virus. The full disease will develop within...five hours or so."

Ratchet and Clank's eyes went wide at hearing this sudden news. The test results slipped from Ratchet's hand and landed softly on the floor at their feet. The Lombax shook his head as he stood up. This wasn't right. This couldn't be right. "I have a...a disease? How? Why? What is this Cor Venenati disease?"

Dr. Dexter took a deep breath. It looked like that he owed the two a proper explanation. He told Ratchet to sit down and the Lombax obeyed, as he was willing to do anything for an explanation at this point. The Terachnoid adjusted his hazmat helmet and began explaining everything he knew. "A few years ago, the Polaris Defense Force contact me and my colleagues at the research center. They wanted us to study the Cor Venenati virus to find more information about it. However, this was a very dangerous job to take on. The Cor Venenati virus is extremely contagious, hence the hazmats suits here and back at the research lab. Despite having the virus to study, we have only recently gotten around to studying. The pink liquid that you were drenched in was the concentrated virus. When it entered your eyes, mouth, and wounds, it infected your bloodstream and has begun developing."

"This is very serious, doctor," Clank said, stepping forward. "What do you plan to do with Ratchet if the virus is so contagious."

"You're not going to turn me into some lab rat, are you?" Ratchet asked with a scowl.

"No no, we already have a plan on what to do," Dr. Dexter said, assuring Ratchet that they weren't going to turn him into some gruesome test subject. "You see, you are not the first person to be injected with the virus. We have a quarantined planet at the edge of the Polaris galaxy that houses the holders of the disease. You will be taken there until further notice."

"And what about the disease itself? How long do I have to wait before I can be cured?"

"Um...about that…" The Terachnoid said, becoming nervous again. He couldn't bear to look into either of their eyes as he spoke one of the scariest sentences that anyone could hear. "There is no cure for the disease you have."

"What?!" Ratchet and Clank yelled out together.

"What do you mean there's no cure? There has to be a cure!" Ratchet said, pushing his chair back as he quickly stood up.

"I'm sorry, but no cure has been discovered yet," Dr. Dexter said, shielding himself from the Lombax. "The Polaris Sanitation Force is working hard with their scientists to find a cure."

"What am I going to have to put up with until they do find a cure?"

"Well, it is hard to say. The disease affects different species in different ways. Some species experience excessive molting, hair and fur loss, and sometimes loss of complete senses like hearing or taste. However, no matter how it affects you, the end result will always be the same."

"And what is the end result?" Clank asked although he had a very good feeling about what it was.

Dr. Dexter lowered his voice a tad as he delivered the gruesome answer, "'Cor Venenati' means 'poisoned heart' in an ancient language. The final phase of the disease attacks and stops the heart. It takes about five years to reach the final stage, though."

Ratchet's ears lowered all the way. He felt his vision become a bit blurry and he stumbled backward, the chair catching him on his way down. Clank rushed to his friends at and placed a hand on Ratchet's arm. The Lombax looked like he was ready to pass out. This information was too much for him. He had a disease. A fatal disease. His breathing became faster and faster, almost to the point of hyperventilating. Clank's sympathetic touch was the only thing keeping hold of him at the moment.

He muttered between breaths, his eyes still wide, "I'm going to die...I'm actually going to die…I...I..."

"Now don't be thinking that!" Dr. Dexter quickly said, catching the surprise attention of the two. He went on to explain, "The cure for the disease has been in the works for years. They could cure it any day now! There is a very high chance that they'll be able to cure you before the five years are up."

"And if they don't find the cure?" Ratchet asked, still breathing heavily.

"L-Let's try not to think about that!" The doctor responded, patting Ratchet on the shoulder. He tried to sound as gentle as possible even though all three of them were panicking slightly. "Look, all you have to do is live on the quarantine planet for a while. There are lots of people to meet and I'm sure that they're all fun. And Clank here can go back home and tell your loved ones that you'll be alrig-"

"I am not leaving Ratchet," Clank said firmly, moving between Ratchet and Dr. Dexter.

"B-But you are not at risk. We promise that we'll take good care of your friend and-"

"I am going to stay with Ratchet. I will not allow him to go through this alone," the robot took a step forward while Dr. Dexter took a step back. "I will live on the quarantine planet with him. If I left him alone there to possible perish, I will never forgive myself."

Clank's words were enough to pull Ratchet back to reality. The urge to show the slightest smile came to him. He sincerely appreciated his friend's efforts to stay with him. A frown then formed on his as he thought about what Clank staying with him meant. He felt guilty thinking about how Clank was going to be stuck with him on a quarantined planet for possibly five years. He wouldn't be able to leave to see friends or even go to the Great Clock if they needed him there. Clank was going to be sacrificing a lot by doing this. But with the tone of the robot's voice, it's what he truly wanted to do.

Ratchet reached down and placed a hand on Clank's head. He looked at Dr. Dexter, "Clank's right. I'm not going anywhere without him. You can either take us together peacefully or take just me and deal with a fight."

The Terachnoid stared at the two together. Their determined faces reminded him of himself when he was focusing on science experiments. It was something admirable, so he couldn't help but agree with them. He nodded, "I understand your request. You two will be sent to the quarantined planet together. But I am still so sorry about this. I never meant for this to happen. If we had just kept that Leviathan contained, you would have-"

Ratchet raised a hand to quiet the doctor. He shook his head, "This isn't your fault and we don't blame you for this. And having a deadly disease is...horrifying. But like you said, they could find the cure any day now. It's only a matter of time, right?"

"Er...right," he said with a nod, surprised by Ratchet's change of attitude. Though the Lombax was most likely putting up this hopeful act so he wouldn't feel bad for somewhat causing this. But it was a decent note to go on. He turned around and grabbed the doorknob. "We'll set course for the planet immediately. Leave us a list of people to send notices to so they know what is happening. And please, just...hang in there...I'll come and get you when we arrive."

The door close shut and Ratchet and Clank were left alone again. And the moment things went silent, Ratchet put his head on the table and started breathing heavily again. Clank noticed this immediately and grabbed his friend's arm again. He wondered how Ratchet had managed to stop the hyperventilating in order to give hope to Dr. Dexter. He could detect Ratchet's heart rate rising more and more.

"I...I don't know what to do, Clank," Ratchet said through his breaths. "This can't be happening. It has to be a bad dream. I can't actually have a disease. I can't actually have five years to live."

"Ratchet, please attempt to calm down, your heart rate is rising at an unhealthy rate," Clank told Ratchet, keeping a grip on the arm.

"I can't die. I can't die, Clank! Talwyn, Qwark, everyone. I won't be able to see them again. I'll die without saying goodbye."

The robot climbed up onto Ratchet's lap and got into his face. He did his best to calm his friend down. He placed his hands on Ratchet's shoulders and shook his head, "Do not think about the possibility of death, Ratchet. That will only make matters worse. You heard Dr. Dexter, they are going to find a cure for this disease. I am sure that you will live through this. But letting the fear take you over will ruin your fighting chance. So please...calm down."

Despite his stress, Ratchet took Clank's words to heart. Like always, Clank was right. If he spent the entire time being afraid, then he had no chance of fighting the disease. But he was so scared about this. It was so sudden and so serious. He felt like he could pass out right on the spot. But Clank's glowing green eyes staring at him and his friend's words were enough to convince him to at least slow his breathing.

It took a few minutes for Ratchet to gain control over his breathing again. His heart rate had gone down as well, but it was still beating rather fast. But a little calm was better than not calm at all. Ratchet's ears lowered and he put a hand on Clank's head again. He spoke in a weak and depressed voice that told Clank that he was still panicking.

"Thanks, Clank. Since you're gonna be with me, maybe this whole waiting for a cure thing won't be that horrible."

"I could not leave you in this time of need, Ratchet. I could not call myself your friend if I did. You are going to make it through this and I am going to help you."

"Yeah...yeah…"

Ratchet rested his head on the table, Clank still sitting in his lap. He let out a small and dreadful sigh. He didn't know what the outcome of this situation was going to be. He didn't know what the disease was going to do to him on the road to stopping his heart. And he didn't even know if he was going to be cured. All he could do in the meantime was stick with Clank and hope. Only five years time would tell if that would be enough, though.

* * *

**Sorry if this chapter was rushed. I kind of struggled with this one. Also I'm wayyy to excited to get to next chapter. Cuz you guys get to meet a certain new someone next time!**

**So...Ratchet has the Cor Venenati Disease. For those of you who don't know, 'Cor Venenati' is actually Latin for 'poisoned heart'. And, of course, it's called that because the disease slowly poisons the heart until it stops it. That's either really creative or really dumb. Probably a bit of both.**

**Also, disclaimer here, I don't know that much medical stuff, so if I get any medical facts wrong between the whole virus and disease thing, I apologize in advance. Just kindly roll with it.**

**Alright, Ratchet and Clank will be put on the quarantined planet next chapter! New friends await! And I'm so excited to write about the village and characters there!**

**Thanks for reading! Kudos and Comments are appreciated!**


	3. Chapter 3

Ratchet barely moved an inch for the long hour that they were forced to wait inside the sanitation room. Not a single word was spoken from Ratchet nor Clank, who was still sitting in his friend's lap for the sake of comforting him. The Lombax was trying to process a single thought. Anything that would take his mind off of the news he was told a short while ago. His eyes were lifeless and half closed as despair kept crawling up his being. The same words kept echoing in his mind as he tried to pull himself together just a small bit.

Cor Venenati.

The disease that was poisoning his heart. And only five years to stop it. Five years would sound like plenty of time to anyone who heard it. Plenty of time to cure the disease. But to Ratchet, those five years felt like they were merely going to be five minutes from then. The thought of having his life cut so short when there were still so many things to see in do out in the universe crushed his spirit completely. He already felt like that he didn't have a fighting chance. Dr. Dexter and Clank had tried to cheer him up with the odds of his survival, but the fear of death that the disease brought haunted his mind. It might not be enough. He might actually die in just five short years.

"Ratchet?" Clank asked quietly, looking up at his friend.

Ratchet frowned and glanced at the concerned robot. He didn't move a muscle, but he did speak. "Sorry I've been so quiet, pal. There's just...a lot to take in."

"I am aware of that. And I know that you are more than likely thinking about your possible death in five years. But you cannot forget that you have a fighting chance."

"Yeah, I know…" he sighed a bit. "I wish that I could tell everyone goodbye before we're moved to this quarantine planet."

"I wish that you could, too. But Dr. Dexter will leave a message to everyone you want to inform. And that is better than leaving them in the dark."

"I guess so."

After an hour of having his head on the table, Ratchet finally sat up his ears drooping. Even though the situation was grim, he appreciated Clank for encouraging him to stay the least bit positive. He didn't know what he would do if Clank wasn't coming with him. He would definitely be in much worse condition, that was for sure. Ratchet opened his mouth to say something, but the door to the room clicked and Dr. Dexter came in with something in his hand.

"I'm sorry about the way, but we're reaching the quarantine planet now."

"Wait, what about all of our stuff back on Veldin? Are you just sending us in empty-handed?" Ratchet asked.

"We'll be sending you with everything you'll need," Dr. Dexter assure him. He reached out and handed what seemed like a pamphlet to Ratchet. "I grabbed this if you wanted more info on the planet you'll be staying on. A little something handy from the sanitation force."

Ratchet raised an eyebrow. He didn't exactly expect info for a diseased planet to be packed down into a resort-like pamphlet. But he still decided to look at it with Clank, as some info was better than no info at all.

The planet was a grayish brown color with small patches of green and blue, not the nicest looking planet, but they've seen worse. However, Ratchet had to speak up when he saw the name of the planet.

"Kuaran...Tene...it's just pronounced 'quarantine' but it's spelled differently!" He said, a little offended that they would make a clever name out of a diseased planet.

"It wasn't my decision," the Terachnoid said. "And for the record, I thought it was clever when I first heard it."

Clank shook his head at the name of the planet and read some of the information inside with Ratchet. Planet Kuaran Tene was an empty planet on the edge of the Polaris galaxy. Because of its livable conditions and location, it became the living place for people with contagious diseases. There was fresh water and plant and animal life, along with valleys with cliffs. Small villages were made in the flatlands of the planet for the infected people to live. Despite the name, Kuaran Tene seemed like a decent little planet.

The pamphlet also read that the Polaris Sanitation Force starship, Starship Purity, constantly hovered over the planet. It provided assistance to people who were injured and sent down a daily tote of food to the villages. There was also a team of scientists on board who were working hard to find a cure for the disease. This part caught Ratchet's attention.

"So they're working on the cure to the Cor Venenati disease on this starship?"

"Oh yes! They're working very hard! And they do it here so they can get the cure to the infected people as soon as possible."

"Can...can we see the place where the cure is being made?" Ratchet asked. Maybe seeing the cure in the works would give him a bit more hope. He was desperate for just a drop of hope at this point.

But his dreams were crushed when Dr. Dexter shook his head. "Eh...I-I'm afraid not. S-See, if you see it, you'll...you'll contaminate the whole area! The cure might not be good if it's exposed to the disease prematurely."

"Oh…" The Lombax's ears drooped again.

Dr. Dexter was quick to change the subject after that. "So, we might as well get ready to send you down. But first, is there anyone you would like me to contact about this...situation?"

"Yes, actually."

"Alright, I'll need their names and the message."

Ratchet sat there for a moment. He turned his head away for about a minute, both Clank and Dr. Dexter staring at him. They could feel the upset atmosphere around him. This was already too hard for him. After a few deep breaths and wiping his eyes, he turned back around. He tried to sound confident as he spoke in a serious tone.

"Send a message to Talwyn Apogee and Captain Qwark. They'll tell everyone else after they find out. And tell them I said that, even with odds stacked against me, I'll try my best to come home someday. And...if I don't make it...that they're the best family that I could ever ask for. And Talwyn needs to take good care of Clank if that happens."

Clank looked up at Ratchet and frowned. He held his friend's arm to comfort him. Dr. Dexter nodded as he took notes on the message. "I understand, thank you for the message. I'll tell them as sincerely as I possibly can."

"Thanks, doc," Ratchet said sadly.

The Terachnoid opened the door and motioned Ratchet and Clank to come out. People in hazmat suits were waiting outside the door. "Come now. We'll send you down to Planet Kuaran Tene."

Ratchet and Clank glanced at each other before they got out of their seat. Ratchet took a deep breath before reaching down and swinging Clank onto his back, quickly following the people leading him out of the room. This felt like it was happening too fast. Several hours ago, he was doing just fine and relaxing in Aphelion. Now he was diagnosed with a fatal disease and being moved to a new planet. It was amazing how quickly his life could change. The universe really did have a sense of humor. But its jokes weren't always the best.

The hazmat team lead Ratchet across the large Starship Purity. Everywhere he walked, the hazmat team reported was contaminated and that it needed to be cleansed. Ratchet didn't exactly like the sound of that. They were making it sound like that he himself was a disease and not just a carrier of one. He got that the disease was very contagious, but they could at least keep the cleansing protocol to themselves instead of saying it clearly for him to hear. Hsi large ears weren't just for show.

The group came to a stop outside a silver sliding door. One of the hazmat-suited people walked up to a keypad and typed in a code, making a light above the door go from red to green. Inside was what looked like the escape pod bay. It was a very barebones room, with just the escape pods and a very large tote. Ratchet and Clank recognized the tote, as it was the same one that was shown in the pamphlet. It was the one that was sent down to give the people on the planet food. Clank guessed that they sent it down and brought it back with the tractor beam so they didn't need to send a new tote every day.

After looking at the tote of food, Ratchet and Clank were brought to a loaded escape pod that had its coordinates set for the planet. Dr. Dexter scuttled in behind them with a large hovering trunk. He offered the handle to Ratchet, "This trunk has everything you'll need for your life down on the planet. You'll have to get help from one of the villagers to find a house to live in because we're not sure what kind of housing they've created down there. You'll also get to keep whatever's stored in your friend there."

Ratchet grabbed the trunk's handle and pulled it towards him, "Thanks."

Dr. Dexter noticed the tone of the Lombax's voice. He frowned, "Ratchet...I'm still so sorry about this. I promise you, the scientists are hard at work on finding a cure. You'll just have to put up with these new arrangements for a while. I know that you'll be able to make it through this."

"I hope so. Don't forget about the message I want to give to Talwyn and Qwark. That's what's most important to me right now."

"Yes, of course, I will deliver it as soon as you're sent off. You have my word that they'll get every word you said."

"Alright then," Ratchet said, turning around. "I'll see you around, doc."

That was all Ratchet had left to say to the Terachnoid. Clank gave a wave to Dr. Dexter as Ratchet climbed into the escape pod that the hazmat team was leading him into. He sat down at the controls, which were disabled, and sat the trunk next to him. Clank simply stood next to the trunk and watched as the door to the escape pod was closed, a guilty look remaining on Dr. Dexter's face. And, after a few moments, the escape pod activated and began leaving the terminal. Ratchet stared out the front window as they began their descent towards the planet. They were on their way.

Dr. Dexter watched the escape pod leave. He let out a sad huff and shook his head, turning around so he could leave for the communicator to leave the messages to Ratchet's friends. "That poor, poor boy…"

The escape pod didn't take long to enter Planet Kuaran Tene. The black and star-studded space around them became a blue sky with clouds scattered throughout it. Clank attempted to get up and see what was near the planet's surface, but he was unable to due to his short stature. Ratchet was able to see it, but he wasn't quite processing it. The feeling of dread was still hanging over him. Part of him was interested in what his new living conditions would be like, but the other part of him just wanted to lay down in a bed and never get up.

Though, on the way down, he did see the village that they would be living in. It was a small one, with small houses made of bricks and stone and wood and some made of metal. There were several people out and about, some looked like they were chatting while some looked like they were working. It looked like that this village had a system going on for awhile. But he couldn't simply assume things by just looking at them. Maybe some of those people were freaking out just like he was. He guessed that he would find out soon.

But, as they were landing, it appeared that they had caught the attention of someone, as they watched their escape pod come close to the ground and began walking towards them. Ratchet stood up, "Well, looks like we're here. And we might have some company."

"Do they look hostile?" Clank asked, trying to see out the windshield.

"No, they look like a...Markazian," Ratchet replied, squinting his eyes a bit.

Both of them curious about who this person was, Ratchet grabbed his trunk and opened the door to the escape pod, which both of them quickly stepped out of. They couldn't help but notice the pleasant breeze that they were greeted with. Many trees around the area made soft 'shhh' noises as they blew with the wind. Their different shades of green colors shined in the warm sunlight. Despite being a diseased planet, Ratchet felt like that this planet was meant for camping. It was more pleasant than he thought. The cliffs and mountains in the distance made for a decent looking view. This place looked more pure than diseased.

After taking in their new environment, Ratchet and Clank walked to the side of the escape pod and saw the person who had been walking towards them. They were clearly a Markazian with the pointed ears, spotted skin, and thin tail. But they both noticed something off about him. His skin was extremely pale, nearly white. And while it really made his brown eyes and spiky brown hair stand out, it wasn't something they've seen in a Markazian before.

He approached them with a smile, Ratchet having a bit of an urge to grab his Omniwrench just in case he was hostile. But, instead of mugging them or attacking, he offered a small wave, "Hey there. I saw your escape pod coming down from the Starship Purity. Looks like you turned out like the rest of us, huh?"

"Uh...yeah?" Ratchet said, caught off guard by the guy's nonchalant attitude. He expected people with the disease to be more...on edge like he was.

The Markazian put out his hand and smiled again, "Well, don't worry, everyone here knows exactly what you're going through. I thought I'd tell you that right off the bat because you must be freaking out after hearing that you had the Cor Venenati disease. I tell this to everyone who firsts land here to help them feel just a bit better. I'm Rylus."

"Oh...well, that's kind of cool of you. I'm Ratchet," Ratchet replied, shaking Rylus's hand.

"You're the first Lombax that we've ever gotten here. And that's...rather unfortunate, actually," Rylus said, trailing off at the last part as he realized that someone part of an endangered species has a deadly disease. He quickly shifted the subject when he saw Clank. "Who's this little guy? We don't have any robots here, either."

"I am Clank," Clank said with a small smile. "It is nice to meet you, Rylus."

"Ooh, he's polite, I like that." Rylus stretched his arms before putting his hands on his sides. "Well, guess I'll just cut to the chase because you two are probably drained after all of this. Like they told everyone else that came here, you'll need some help finding a place to live. Why don't we go see what kind of houses they have available."

"You're so quick with this," Ratchet said, surprised at how fast this was all moving. Rylus was really cut-to-the-chase with all of this. "How many times have you done this with new people on the planet?"

"Ehh...way too many. I've gotten a little too used to it." he replied, looking a bit sad knowing that so many people were forced here by the disease. But he tried to keep his spirits up for the new people. He motioned them along, "A-Anyway, if I'm going to fast for you, just tell me. In the meantime, let's go into the village and find you a house."

"Oh, alright then. I hope we get a decent place to live," Ratchet said, shaking off the speed that all of this was going and grabbing his trunk.

Ratchet and Clank followed Rylus through the grassy flatland, which was home to many flowers and plants. It was like one big garden. And at the end of the garden was the small village Ratchet had seen through the window of the escape pod. He was surprised at the different species that were living here. Markazians, some Kerchu, Tharpods, and even Fongoids. And despite the diversity of the people in the village, there seemed to be a sense of peace among them. Some were happily chatting, some Kerchu and Tharpods were playing card games, A Fongoid child was playing with a Markazian teenager, it was almost enough to make Ratchet smile.

However, his smile soon faded, as he remembered one grim thing: all of these people had five years or left to live. The peacefulness of the village nearly made him forget that they all had the Cor Venenati disease, and they were all most likely suffering in their own ways. Ratchet then realized that the disease was most likely the reason for Rylus's pale skin. Upon closer inspection, the skin seemed a bit flaky as well and almost cracked. The Lombax frowned and looked at himself, wondering how the disease was going to affect him, but he didn't exactly want to think about that.

He sighed to himself and looked around once more. At least the village he was going to be staying in was peaceful. It was nice and mostly quiet, and there didn't seem to be commotion whatsoever-

"Excuse me! Pardon me!" Yelled a voice behind the three.

Ratchet and Clank looked behind them and were startled to see a cart with a crate on top rolling towards them. Acting fast, Rylus pushed the two out of the way and let the cart speed by him. Ratchet took a glance at the careless person pushing the cart. With a view of their back, he could see that it was a brown furry creature with large ears. They were wearing a short white dress with black leggings, and two long fluffy tails sprouted out from underneath the dress. Whoever this person was, they were obviously not one to look where they were going.

Rylus shook his head as he released Ratchet and Clank and stepped forward. "Delta, be careful! You almost ran us over!"

Delta's large ears twitched and they turned their head. Clank squinted his eyes a bit as he realized how much this person resembled a bat, with a rather large purple nose and long fangs. The part that stood out the most, though, were the two turquoise horns coming out the top of their head, which matched the color of their large eyes. This Delta has an interesting look indeed.

Delta quickly turned around and faced the group of three, looking rather guilty. They scratched the back of their head and shrugged, "Sorry, Rylus. I guess I didn't see you there. Who else did I almost run over? Who's beside you?"

Rylus placed a hand on Ratchet's shoulder and then pointed to Clank when introducing them, "This is Ratchet and this is Clank. They're new to the planet."

The bat-like creature tilted their head, "So we got some new people today, huh? I guess they wound up like the rest of us. Sorry about this bad circumstance that you guys are involved in."

"Eh, it's uh...alright, I guess. I mean, you must have it, too..." Ratchet stammered a bit, not quite sure how to discuss the disease with other people infected with it. He cleared his throat and tried to clear the awkwardness, "Anyway, Delta was it?"

They smiled and nodded, taking a step closer, "That's me, alright. Sorry for almost running you down with the cart, by the way."

"Well, you didn't hit us, and that's what's important." Ratchet held out his hand towards Delta, "Like Rylus said, I'm Ratchet. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, too."

Ratchet kept holding his hand out, waiting for Delta to take it and give a nice introductory handshake. However, their hands remained where they were, though they were smiling and looked happy to meet him. Ratchet looked down at Clank who looked just as confused as he did. Clank stepped forward and spoke up, thinking that this awkward silence had gone on for long enough.

"Pardon me, but I believe that my friend would like to shake your hand."

"Huh?" Delta said, tilting their head again. Their ears twitched a bit and suddenly they looked a bit embarrassed. "O-Oh! Are you holding out your hand to me? Sorry, I didn't realize."

"I'm holding my hand right in front of you," Ratchet said, his ears lowering a bit. How did they not see his hand? It was clearly right in from of them! Ratchet was about to say something before Rylus grabbed his shoulder and leaned a bit. The Lombax looked at the Markazian out of the corner of his eye and muttered, "What?"

"You'll have to forgive Delta. You were told about the disease on the Starship Purity, right? Did they tell you that the disease affects different species in different ways?" Rylus asked.

Ratchet nodded, "Yeah, I remember."

"Well, this is what the disease did to Delta. It took their eyesight about a year ago. They're blind. See how their eyes are completely glossed over with the turquoise color?" Rylus told Ratchet.

The Lombax looked at Delta and did notice that their eyes were just one solid color. There was no pupil. "Oh..." Ratchet's ears lowered again. He frowned, "Sorry, I didn't know. That's...really terrible."

"Don't worry, it's fine. Delta has gotten really used to it. They're even comfortable enough to make jokes about it. Though a lot of them are either in bad taste or just straight up terrible."

"I heard that," Delta said, pointing at Rylus and lowering their ears.

"But they have really good hearing as you just clearly witnessed," Rylus said, glancing at his friend.

Clank couldn't help but notice something about the way that Rylus was addressing Delta. He spoke up about it as he was curious to know."Excuse me, but why are you calling Delta 'they'? Do you now know the gender of your own friend?"

"Of course I do, but Delta is genderfluid. They don't identify as male or female. They'll be whatever they feel like. Though they're wearing a dress today because they were feeling more feminine."

"Oh...that's neat," Ratchet said as Clank added 'genderfluid' to his database. But Ratchet raised an eyebrow as he realized something, "Wait, you said that Delta is blind. How did they know that we were here next to you?"

"I can answer that one," Delta said. They grabbed their ears and gave off a proud smile, "In case you didn't know, I'm an Ekoid. And us Ekoids use echolocation to get around in the dark caves we like to live in. So, after I went blind, I started using my echolocation all the time to see my surroundings. That's why I could detect the two of you there."

"An Ekoid. Interesting," Clank said, adding that to his database as well.

Delta let go of their ears as they began twitching. They looked down at Clank as they thoroughly checked Clank with their echolocation. They got down onto the ground and laid on their side, staring at him. "You seem to be a tiny little guy. What species am I looking at that made you so little?"

"I am a robot, actually," Clank said, taking a step back from Delta.

"Oooh! A robot! We haven't had one of you guys before!" They said excitingly, their tails waving a bit. They put a hand on Clank, ending up on his back, and smiled. "Ah, you're metal is so smooth. I don't get much contact with robots. I wish I did, though."

"Well, I am...happy to help you finally come into contact with a robot," Clank said, feeling a slight bit uncomfortable, but happy for the Ekoid nonetheless.

"Alright alright, quit feeling up the robot. Shoo!" Rylus said, pushing Delta away from Clank and back up onto their feet.

But Delta was quick to step out of Rylus's grip and in front of Ratchet, "So, what species are you?"

"I'm a Lombax," Ratchet said simply.

"Oooh, fancy," they said, feeling Ratchet's fur. "Furry and exotic. I like it."

Rylus grabbed Delta's collar and pulled them back. He looked at Ratchet, "Sorry about Delta, guys. They're obnoxiously curious, as you can see."

"Pardon?" Delta said, looking over their shoulder and glaring at Rylus.

The Markazian let his friend go and stopped them before they could get into anything else. "Nevermind. Look, we're trying to find a place for these two to live. Do you know if there are any empty houses around?"

"Pfft, how do you expect me to know which ones are empty? I'm as blind as a bat." They said with a big smile, their two long fangs hanging out. But the smile soon went away as they realized that they were actually a bat. "Wait a minute... "

Clank chuckled a bit as he actually found that to be rather humorous, but Rylus rolled his eyes at the joke. "Alright, looks like we'll have to find it ourselves."

"Well, actually…" Delta started, shaking off the joking attitude. They put a hand on their fuzzy chin looked back at the group. "I think there might be a free cottage near the end of the village. There are usually some free ones there anyway. There aren't that many people here, after all."

"Alright. Thanks for the info, Delta. Though next time you should just tell us instead of making a joke about being 'blind as a bat.'"

"Hey! I heard one of them laugh.  _They_  liked it...whichever one it was."

"It was me," Clank said, raising his hand.

"You have a great sense of humor," Delta said, smiling sweetly down at Clank.

Ratchet stepped in as he was getting a bit tired of the bickering. "Look, can we just...get to the cottage? We're pretty tired and had a long an...shocking day to sat the least."

"Yeah, we can," Rylus said with a nod. He looked at Delta, "We're gonna head over there now. Get these guys settled in."

"Alright. Make sure that they're comfortable, Rylus. We want you guys to feel welcome to our village," Delta said with another smile.

"Thanks. We'll see you around," Ratchet said, grabbing his trunk and pulling it with him as Rylus guided them away.

"It was nice to meet you, Delta," Clank said, following closely behind Ratchet.

Delta gave them a friendly wave as they walked away, and then continued to push the cart through the village, their two fluffy tails flowing behind them. Ratchet looked over his shoulder at them before looking forward again. Well, that was definitely an interesting encounter. Delta was kind of annoying, but at least they were sincere and rather positive. That was admirable for someone who lost their sight from a fatal disease. In fact, Rylus was like that as well. Maybe he would pick up on their positivity and gather the hope that he was desperately needing. It wouldn't hurt to make a few new friends, after all.

Rylus took Ratchet and Clank to the edge of the village, where some smaller houses were scattered about. They looked around and noticed that a lot of them were unoccupied like Delta had told them. Most people lived in the center of the village so they had easy access to everything, so no one lived near the end of the village. Bt at least Ratchet and Clank had a choice. Though it was a quick choice because they just decided to live in the one that was closest to the village. Also they all were practically the same, so the decision didn't quite matter house-wise.

They entered the small cottage, which was a simple gray stone house with a brown roof and a few windows, and were met with the cold wooden floor of the neglected of it. It was more like a motel room than a house. With a bed, a small kitchen, and a small bathroom, nearly all packed into one. Rylus scratched the back of his head as he knew the two weren't impressed with how their new home looked.

"It doesn't look like much, but it's all we can offer you. People do services in the village like washing and sewing, so those will be available if you need them. You won't have to worry about a lack of washing machine or anything."

"Well, it's not the most ideal living place," Ratchet said, placing the trunk next to the bed. "But if it's just me and Clank, then it'll do fine."

"It is at least easy to maneuver," Clank said, walking around. "We shall adjust to the size of it."

"That's good," Rylus said, clasping his hands together, even though he knew that the duo wasn't exactly happy with it. He decided that they should have some time to sit back and get used to their new surroundings. This was a big change for them, so they would need some time alone. "I'm going to leave you guys to get to know your new place a bit better. If you need me or need to know something, I'll be in the house with the sunflowers planted in front."

"Thank you for all of your help, Rylus," Clank said sincerely.

"Yeah, thanks for showing us around," Ratchet added.

"It's no problem. We're all suffering from the same thing. I would be making matters worse without offering some help," he said with a friendly smile. He grabbed the door handle and exited the house, "I'll see you guys later. And welcome to our village."

The door closed with a click and Rylus was gone, leaving Ratchet and Clank alone again. As soon as the door closed, Ratchet fell onto the bed and put a hand on his face, letting out a distressed sigh. "Oh my stars...I can't believe that this is where we're going to live."

Clank looked around the house, understanding what Ratchet meant. He placed a hand on the side of his head, "Well, like Rylus said, it is not much, but this is all they can offer us. I am sure that it will not look so bad after we spruce it up a bit."

"I really hope you're right about that," Ratchet said, keeping his hand on his face. "Because I feel like I'm living in a prison cell right now."

The robot sighed and brushed off some cotton webs off of the well, "I suppose that we will simply have to get used to it. Hopefully it will not be that hard."

"Yeah. Hopefully."

Ratchet uncovered his eyes and looked at the ceiling. A sense of tiredness was falling over him and he didn't want to get up from the bed. This place was going to take more than getting used to. It was almost a test of endurance to see how long he could put up with it. As much as he wanted to have a shred of positivity, he was just too exhausted to bring himself to feel anything other than disappointment and dread.

The Lombax rolled over onto his side and let his body lay on the stiff mattress. Today was most definitely the worst day of his life. Nothing could even come near topping it. Not Qwark's betrayal, not being trapped in the Dreadzone, not even the late General Azimuth. Ratchet sighed as bad memories rushed through him, but a single thought formed a silver lining through all of it.

If today was the worst day of his life, then tomorrow would definitely be better. Even if it was just a little bit.

* * *

**Looks like Ratchet isn't exactly enjoying his new home...though I wouldn't mind my bedroom also being my kitchen.**

**So, looks like you guys met Delta, my new OC. Rylus is a new OC as well, but Delta is the more exciting one. Now, I'm sure you guys notice that Delta is a made-up species, an Ekoid (eck-oid), and the species is based on bats. Though I decided to add a twist and give them horns and two tails, so they're not just a plain old anthropomorphic bat person.**

**And, about why they're genderfluid, I have a story for this. So while I was talking about the idea for Delta, I hadn't decided on their gender, so I kept calling Delta 'they'. But I did it for so long that I thought that the 'they' pronoun fits Delta better, and I worked with that by making them genderfluid. I thought that it would add a nice unique personality to them. So that's what they ended up being, a blind and genderfluid Ekoid! And they're my beautiful baby bat (that term for them makes sense in context, I swear)!**

**Next time, Ratchet and Clank will get a taste of what it's like to live a day in the village and the services provided there. Stick around to see how that goes...well, I mean, you don't have to actually stay here until I update. Go home. Get some sleep. I'll come get you when I finish Chapter 4.**

**Thanks for reading! Kudos and Comments are appreciated!**


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